Zika, Andy, and Pete and co. put up the good fight for longer than expected. They boosted people who helped grow the depth in domestic distance running. Wasn't ZAP one of the Team USA centers, like Hansons, Mammoth, Brownstone, Minnesota? That enterprise has been fading away over the past decade, though Hansons endures and Minnesota Distance Elite has produced of late. What is left of pro(ish) level distance groups on the east coast? ATC, BAA (cough, cough), Empire, GRC?
Zika, Andy, and Pete and co. put up the good fight for longer than expected. They boosted people who helped grow the depth in domestic distance running. Wasn't ZAP one of the Team USA centers, like Hansons, Mammoth, Brownstone, Minnesota? That enterprise has been fading away over the past decade, though Hansons endures and Minnesota Distance Elite has produced of late. What is left of pro(ish) level distance groups on the east coast? ATC, BAA (cough, cough), Empire, GRC?
would not include minnesota in the same category as hansons and zap
Zika, Andy, and Pete and co. put up the good fight for longer than expected. They boosted people who helped grow the depth in domestic distance running. Wasn't ZAP one of the Team USA centers, like Hansons, Mammoth, Brownstone, Minnesota? That enterprise has been fading away over the past decade, though Hansons endures and Minnesota Distance Elite has produced of late. What is left of pro(ish) level distance groups on the east coast? ATC, BAA (cough, cough), Empire, GRC?
would not include minnesota in the same category as hansons and zap
Entirely because they have not relied on the title group sponsorship model? Their level of production of national class runners and Olympians is on par with the other two, certainly.
Zap and Hansons both created things. Hansons bought houses to provide housing. Zap created an entire training facility to provide housing. Minnesota has always had a different model. They take athletes from several different sponsors but don’t provide housing.
would not include minnesota in the same category as hansons and zap
Entirely because they have not relied on the title group sponsorship model? Their level of production of national class runners and Olympians is on par with the other two, certainly.
Entirely because they have not relied on the title group sponsorship model? Their level of production of national class runners and Olympians is on par with the other two, certainly.
It’s important to have a very solid mid-tier semipro level of any sport. I can’t think of a successful sport that only has pro-elite levels and the next level down is hobby level. It is a whole pyramid shaped athletic ecosystem.
This is very sad. As someone who wants to see Americans up on the podiums in distance events, ZAP was one of the programs that strived to create that same goal.
Entirely because they have not relied on the title group sponsorship model? Their level of production of national class runners and Olympians is on par with the other two, certainly.
besides dakota and joel who has performed
Tollefson. The rest are alsorans at the international level, much like all of the ZAP crew through the years.
Zika, Andy, and Pete and co. put up the good fight for longer than expected. They boosted people who helped grow the depth in domestic distance running. Wasn't ZAP one of the Team USA centers, like Hansons, Mammoth, Brownstone, Minnesota? That enterprise has been fading away over the past decade, though Hansons endures and Minnesota Distance Elite has produced of late. What is left of pro(ish) level distance groups on the east coast? ATC, BAA (cough, cough), Empire, GRC?
ZAP was not a Team USA Distance Running center, 20 years ago; there were discussions with ZAP (Andy Palmer), but nothing came of it.
Kudos to Andy, Zika and Pete for their vision, dedication and support of U.S. distance running; respect.
Sad to hear. My college teammate Cameron Bean competed for them in the steeplechase and saw incredible improvement under ZAP.
Sadly, shortly after he left ZAP, he was killed by a driver who crossed both lanes, hit him from behind and left him in a ditch to die. RIP Cameron.
Holy crap! As I'm getting all amped up for W 1500 Heats in exactly 12 hours, I see your post. What little I know about Zap over the years is that they were true to our sport. RIP ZAP and Cameron.
Sad to hear. My college teammate Cameron Bean competed for them in the steeplechase and saw incredible improvement under ZAP.
Sadly, shortly after he left ZAP, he was killed by a driver who crossed both lanes, hit him from behind and left him in a ditch to die. RIP Cameron.
Holy crap! As I'm getting all amped up for W 1500 Heats in exactly 12 hours, I see your post. What little I know about Zap over the years is that they were true to our sport. RIP ZAP and Cameron.
He was quite a personality.
From ZAP: "Cameron contacted ZAP in 2010 and asked about training with the group. At the time he hadn’t run fast enough to qualify for a spot on the team, but was told by Pete, 'if you move to town, find a part time job, and show up to practice every day, I’ll coach you.'
"Well, Cameron found a place to live and was at practice the next week. Three years later Cameron was the 10th-fastest steeplechaser in the country, had qualified for the final at the US Championships, and had set the ZAP Club Record of 8:32 in the 3,000m Steeplechase."
ZAP helped him go from a 14:28 5K guy in college to an 8:32 steeplechase pro in 2013.
Opportunities come and go quickly. Zap athletes must act now if they haven’t already. Waiting until after the fall will be too late. Betting on Chicago results is going to be too late.
So Ford is with On, Izewski is staying in Blowing Rock, Vestri wants out of NC and is looking at Florida or New York, no one wants the Colley's as a group so probably look for solo spots. Schaffer should go somewhere to promote his skills at 1500-3k, Van Der Els can be a legit pick up for an elite team that let's him decide what events to concentrate on, and Tuxbury is probably back to Connecticut and looking for a club team there.